Flexible corner fitting intended to contribute to a connection between at least three walls of at least one aircraft box structure

Abstract

A flexible corner fitting configured to contribute to a connection between at least three walls of at least one aircraft box structure, and to make them leaktight with respect to liquids. The corner fitting has at least three fixing plates and at least three edge corners made of flexible material. Each of the at least three fixing plates is connected to each of the other at least three fixing plates by one of the edge corners made of flexible material. The edge corners made of flexible material ensure adjustment of the corner fitting without machining or the addition of shims.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flexible corner fitting configured to contribute to a connection between at least three walls of at least one aircraft box structure, comprising:
 at least three fixing plates, and   at least three edge corners made of a flexible material,
 each of the at least three fixing plates having an outer surface configured to be fixed respectively to a wall of the box structure, 
 each of the at least three fixing plates being connected to each of the other at least three fixing plates by one of the edge corners made of the flexible material, 
 wherein the at least three fixing plates are manufactured from a stiffer material than the flexible material of the at least three edge corners, enabling a movement of one of the at least three fixing plates relative to another of the at least three fixing plates. 
   
     
     
         2 . The corner fitting according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least three fixing plates comprises at least one drilling site configured to be drilled so as to form a fixing opening configured to allow a fixing element to pass through, the corner fitting having at least one O-ring made of flexible material overmolded around at least one drilling site, the outer surface of the at least three fixing plates having a circular groove machined around the drilling site, the O-ring being overmolded on a bottom of the circular groove. 
     
     
         3 . The corner fitting according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least three fixing plates comprises at least one fixing opening configured to allow a fixing element to pass through, the corner fitting having at least one O-ring made of flexible material overmolded around at least one fixing opening, the outer surface of the at least one plate of the at least three fixing plates having a circular groove machined around the opening, the O-ring being overmolded on a bottom of the circular groove. 
     
     
         4 . The fitting according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one peripheral sealing strip made of flexible material, the peripheral sealing strip dividing each outer surface into two parts while still forming a closed loop overall, the corner fitting having at least one peripheral groove passing over the outer surface of each of the at least three fixing plates, the peripheral groove forming a closed loop passing all around the corner fitting while passing over each of the outer surfaces, a single peripheral sealing strip being overmolded on a bottom of each of the peripheral grooves. 
     
     
         5 . A flexible corner fitting configured to contribute to a connection between at least three walls of at least one aircraft box structure, comprising:
 at least three fixing plates, and   at least three edge corners made of a flexible material,
 each of the at least three fixing plates having an outer surface configured to be fixed respectively to a wall of the box structure, 
 each of the at least three fixing plates being connected to each of the other at least three fixing plates by one of the edge corners made of the flexible material, 
   wherein at least one fixing plate comprises at least two portions connected to one another by a separation joint made of flexible material, the separation joint made of flexible material being connected to at least one edge corner of the corner fitting.   
     
     
         6 . The corner fitting according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material corresponds to an incompressible hyperelastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The corner fitting according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material corresponds to an elastomer. 
     
     
         8 . An aircraft comprising at least one box structure having at least one corner, wherein a corner fitting according  claim 1  is fixed to the at least one box structure. 
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing a corner fitting, comprising the following steps:
 installing at least three fixing plates having an outer surface configured to be fixed respectively to a wall of a box structure, each of the at least three fixing plates being installed such that each outer surface is configured to be able to be fixed respectively to a wall of the box structure,   overmolding at least one edge corner on the at least three fixing plates such that each of the at least three fixing plates is connected to each of the other at least three fixing plates by an edge corner made of a flexible material,   wherein the at least three fixing plates are produced from a stiffer material than the flexible material of the at least one edge corner.